Interest group sues Louisiana for failure to recognize same-sex marriages

On Wednesday, a prominent gay-rights groups sued the state of Louisiana in federal court. The lawsuit claimed that the denial of the state to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed elsewhere legally was unconstitutional.

The Advocate said in a report that should the legal challenge by the New Orleans-based Forum for Equality should be successful, same-sex couples who had gotten married in any of the 17 US states that allowed same-sex marriage will have their union remained recognized by Louisiana after returning or moving to the state. Moreover, the report said the successful ruling would result to eligibility of same-sex married couples to all benefits awarded by the state government to heterosexual couples, which include the right to hold joint custody of children and the right to file joint tax returns.

The Forum for Equality executive director Sarah Jane Brady told reporters at a press conference, "Same-sex couples should not fear that their spouse, child or family will be treated any differently under the law. This is as basic as the Golden Rule: treating others as one would want to be treated, including extending all rights and privileges of marriage to lesbian and gay couples."

The Advocate said the lawsuit received a lot of backlash, considering that Louisiana is considered a conservative state. The online news report said that just a decade ago, Louisiana became one of the 30 states that enshrined traditional marriage between a man and a woman in its constitution, and pointed to a recent Public Policy Polling survey, which shows that only 25% of the people in the state approved of making same-sex marriages legal.

In response to the lawsuit lodged by the Forum for Equality, head of the influential Louisiana Family Forum Gene Mills said, "(The lawsuit is) another attempt to usurp the will of the people in Louisiana."

The lawsuit is currently assigned in New Orleans to U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman, the Advocate stated in its report.

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Louisiana, Forum for Equality, Louisiana same-sex marriages

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